Halloween Horrors In Your Home?

Maybe, Maybe Not

It's that time of year again when scary movies are on everybody's mind, and everyone is worried that their house is haunted. We're taking a look at some of the most common scary sounds and experiences you might have in your house this month and showing why you don't need to be afraid just yet. For the following 8, don't worry about a haunt but you might want to worry about your house.

Water Dripping From Walls 

We've all seen movies that have water dripping from the walls. Whether it's inside a seaside house or up in the mountains, you've got water where it shouldn't be. For this one, our suggestion is actually to check out your gutters. You want to be looking for signs that your gutters may have ripped away from the side of your house and are actually dripping down through the walls of your home instead of having the water run off through the piping. It won't be a nightmare in terms of your safety, but it will be a nightmare in terms of your pocketbook. The sooner you catch this one, the better.

Faucets Running/Dripping/Exploding

Photo: Shutterbug75

Someone says something that angers the ghost, and now instead of just having a leaky faucet, it's gone and exploded everywhere! We’ve seen this one in several movies and cartoons, and we’re quite glad to tell you it’s not a ghost. We're actually going to recommend that you double-check not what you're saying but instead that you haven't got your water pressure turned up too high, or a valve disconnected somewhere. It could just be bad timing that caused it to explode right then.

Weird Noises Coming From The Laundry Room

If you're stuck in a house that was built in the 1940s or 50s, you might have some weird sounds coming from the laundry room. Rattles and thumps, and squeaks abound in this room, even though the appliances are /brand new/! No in reality, it might just be that the appliances aren't leveled properly rather than the ghost of The Stepford wives coming after you. Don't worry too much about this one, but it is a good idea to have your local handyman come check it out just to be safe. After all, we wouldn't want your dryer to rattle itself loose from the wall.  

Rotting Food That Was Fresh

Photo: Marian Bijlenga

You've got food that you bought just a few days ago in your fridge or freezer. But you’ve got to make dinner or you forgot that your new neighbor is coming over, and you want to impress them. And when you pull it out, oh no, it's gone rotten. It must be the ghost, right? Nope! For this one, you're going to need to check a couple of different spots it might be that your fridge is not sealed properly, it might be that your freezer isn't sealing properly, or it could be that either one is actually not working at the proper temperature.

Burning Smells When You're Not Cooking

You might have weird burning smells around your home on a normal day where it doesn't entirely matter what you're doing. You're just getting normal chores done, but it smells like your house is burning. If that's the case, the first thing you want to check is your dryer. Have you been running the dryer while you have the smell? If the answer is yes, go ahead and take a closer look at the vents and the ducts for your dryer it's very possible that you have a dryer vent that needs to be cleared out and what you're smelling is the lint heating up to dangerous levels. So actually, let us backtrack and say that the first thing you need to do is unplug your dryer and then check out the ductwork. 

Things Turning Off And On Randomly 

What about having the lights flash on and off? You enter a room and lights turn on when they shouldn't, or you're working on something, and all of a sudden the lights shut off. This one, we're going to say have an electrician come and check out your lighting situation. Are there any shorts in the line? Are there any fuses that have been blown or maybe it's just a matter of something not being connected fully. Maybe a new light fixture that wasn't grounded? There are all sorts of reasons for this one that an electrician will be able to help you figure out.

High-Pitched Whining Sounds 

While you have the electrician hanging out at your house, you might want to have them help you with the high-pitched whining sounds. Well, this might be coming from electronics or electricity going through old copper, this can also be an issue with appliances such as your refrigerator or your dryer, in which case you'll need to call on an appliance technician. (psst, check out the link at the bottom.))

Mold And Mildew Spreading Through The House 

Photo: MabelAmber

What about all the mold and mildew though? You've got mold blooming in your basement and mildew in your kitchen. Proof that it is ghosts inhabiting your house. A dark aura driving you and everybody else insane. Well, unfortunately, different areas of your home can end up being a mold hotspot if you're not careful. It can come down to a matter of water getting trapped in a room or up near the ceiling and then mold having the right habitat to bloom in. You have to be diligent not only in getting a dehumidifier but also in keeping the areas clean and bleached in order to kill any hint of the mold or the spores if you catch it soon enough, that should be enough to kill it. However, if it is a full infestation and you're already noticing health issues, that is when you need to be more concerned about your health and may in fact have to rip everything out in that area.

The House Yells At You And Starts Playing Creepy Music When You Walk In The Door

Or you hear music come on as you enter your house. Don't worry that one's just your assistant of choice getting ready for Halloween! 

On the other hand, if you see any of the following, you should be worried.  

You have blood dripping from your walls, and you’re not living in an abattoir. 

If you have a pair of twins appearing at the end of different hallways that you definitely don't know and didn’t invite in. 

 A tall man with a hat who doesn't quite touch the floor when he’s floating there.

And that’s it for our Halloween post! Although we’re still a few days out, we couldn’t wait any longer for this one. Do you have plans for this Halloween? Let us know over on our Facebook page or in the comments below. 

If on the other hand, you really are suffering from some of the issues up above, we might be able to help. For a good half of them at least, an appliance technician is the best person to call. So if your appliances are haunting you,  reach out to us at ((214) 599-0055) or by getting in touch on our contact page. Appliance Rescue Service is here for you. 

Five Appliance Trends That Won’t Last

And what to replace them with

Table of Contents: 

Open Concept Kitchens     

The Color of the Year 

Air Sous Vide 

Smart Appliances

Dual Dishwashers In Your Kitchen

Trends are something we love discussing here on Appliance Repair Service. We’ve talked popular ones, new ones, and ones that died miserable deaths. Now we’re taking a look at different ones that are popular here in 2022.  These are things you may be thinking about jumping on immediately, but we’d advise waiting a while to see how these trends play out, so you aren’t spending thousands of dollars on something you’ll hate in three months. 

Open Concept Kitchens

From the early 2000s up until now, the open concept was the most common style of new home on the market.  They’re all about a home being able to serve multiple purposes with very little change or adjustment. Being able to shift seamlessly from one room to another, and having the family together without having to hunt through different rooms. 

With Covid and the rise of people working from home, the open concept plan doesn’t work either in your kitchen or for your whole house. Being able to separate ourselves out, and find quiet during different points of the day is important. You might need to use one area for an office, or another for your child’s school area, and section those off. You don’t want to hear shouts of “hey, where do we have the oregano” when you’re in the middle of a zoom meeting” if it can be avoided after all. 

The Color of the Year 

Going for the color of the year is something many of us want to do. There are hundreds of blog posts, magazine articles, and social media posts all over the net talking about how to best use Very Peri in your house, your kitchen, or your wardrobe. Many of us want to have the most recent colors or designs when it comes to somewhere we spend a large amount of our time. It’s the same as working on the rest of your house, where you might update every few years and bring in either a color you love or whatever the most popular color series is.  In the kitchen, we’re not talking just about painting your kitchen the color of the year. Many companies also will update their ranges, ovens, and refrigerators to come in new and different colors. (This year for example is seeing many companies adding “Mint Green” as one of the colors they offer?) 

But, we have to point out that color trends change. Like we point out every year, colors that were popular this year may not be next year. A better option might be to choose a color palette that you love and work from that in different ways. You might bring in tile with several of the colors that you like. Or paint your cabinets different colors to blend into the overall pattern.  This allows you to more easily change out colors when you want to refresh, but it also means that you’re standing out on your own. 

Air Sous Vide 

Think about the concept of sous vide, if you’ve ever run into it. If you haven’t, it’s a process of sealing food into a bag and boiling it until it’s cooked just right. Air sous vide then, is the same concept, except you’re using air. 

There are too many mixed thoughts on this one and not enough hard reviews about how well it works or recipes that are repeatable. We don’t recommend getting this one until (and if) they manage to solidify the way it works.

Smart Appliances

We’ve spoken before about smart appliances, both the uses of them and the downsides. We want them to be able to do all sorts of things and make our homes more automated so that we can focus on other aspects of our lives. The truth is though, that propaganda is just that, propaganda. Smart appliances might promise you the moon, but they aren’t there yet. 

With this one, we advise keeping a level head on what they can do vs what they can’t. Instead of thinking that your oven will cook you a perfect steak with potatoes and broccoli on the side and a perfect bearnaise sauce on the side.  Instead, it’s able to turn on when you tell it to, alert you when it’s come to the proper temperature and let you know when what you’re cooking has finished cooking. 

Dual Dishwashers In Your Kitchen

This one is lovely, honestly. It’s just a matter of what do you need? Do you need to have two dishwashers in your kitchen? Do you entertain a couple of times a week and deal with all of the dishes inherent in that? Or do you have a large family that you prepare food for and you need to be able to wash all of the dishes easily and without leaving yourself exhausted?
If the answer to that is no, then you might want to reconsider whether you want to bring a second dishwasher into your home. While it’s really popular, it’s not always needed, in which case, why bother? Instead, take a look at how much you use your current dishwasher. Would a larger one be beneficial for you? Do you need a different style? Maybe one that can handle larger pots and pans due to the amount of cooking/baking you do now? 

Do you have any of these already or are you looking at getting them? Let us know over on our Facebook page, or in the comments below! 

Don’t forget that we can also help with the appliances you have already. If your dishwasher is refusing to clean dishes or isn’t draining fully, we can help. Call us at ((214) 599-0055) or reach out to us on our contact page.  

Dryer Deep Dive 2021

Figuring Out What All Is In Your Dryer

Welcome back to another one of our Appliance Deep Dives! This week we're taking a look at everything there is to know about your clothes dryer. Some people call it a tumble dryer, some people call it a clothes dryer, but most of us just call it the dryer. This is the appliance in your home that is the second most energy-hungry out of what we call the 'core' appliances, second only to your range. It uses heated air to remove the moisture from your clothes, and a tumbling drum to keep them moving continuously to distribute that heated air. 

Table of Contents

Time-Based Features

Delay

Time Left In Cycle 

Timed Dry

Features To Make Your Life Easier

Damp Alert

Sensor Dry

Attached Dryer Rack

Steam

Child Lock

Wrinkle Guard 

How to Choose Your Next Dryer

Power

Size of the Dryer

Capacity of the Dryer 

Power Supply

Electric

Gas

Types of Dryers

Gas Dryer

Vented Dryer

Condenser Dryer

Heat Pump Condenser 

Features to Look At

Door Types

Hamper Door

Side Open Door

Reversible Swing Door

Top Open Door

Drum Types

Stainless Steel

Coated

Plastic 

---

There are so many different options for dryers. No doubt that list up top probably looks huge (it does to us too) but we're going to tackle all of it. We'll be starting off by looking at the power sources that are currently available for your dryer, whether you're looking for a new one or want to understand where your current one may not be the right fit. 

Electric 

An electric dryer is the one that most people have in their homes, and for many excellent reasons. They don't require you to pay for a specialist to set up a natural gas or propane hookup. They're cheaper and more easily available for consumers to get hold of, which means that if something breaks on them, they're also easier to get parts for. The downside is that they do use much more electricity in order to run. Even the most energy-efficient ones will still push up your electric bill a fair bit. 

Gas

By contrast, a gas dryer is more expensive to install, though only if you don't already have an existing natural gas or propane hookup in your home. Whereas an electric dryer utilizes metal coils to heat the air, a gas dryer just uses natural gas or propane. (Just to be clear, the gas doesn't come into contact with your clothing.) The dryer itself is also more expensive than an electric dryer, but that it's due to two different factors. The first is that they are not as common as the electric dryers, so as the consumer, you absorb more of the costs. The second is that a gas dryer is going to last much longer than an electric.  They do require a vent to the outside, which can either be done with a permanent vent, for which most manufacturers will offer a kit or a temporary hookup. We'll talk more about that in just a moment. A gas dryer isn't great if you only have a small space for your dryer, but, the trade-off is that they are extremely energy efficient. 

Vented Dryer

Your standard vented dryer can either be gas or electric, and they are the single most common variety of dryers on the market. They work by heating air and sending it into the drum. That air is then vented back out of the system and replaced with fresh air once it becomes too saturated with moisture. As we mentioned up above, the vent can either be a permanent hookup or temporary.  A temporary one might be connected to a block that you put in your window with the frame closed around it, and then you remove it when you're done. These dryers are not perfect at removing all of the air from the system though and so your laundry room can become very muggy when using them. They are cheaper to buy than some of the more complicated models, but they are also more expensive to operate. Additionally, these are also typically of a larger capacity than most other models, meaning you can dry more clothes at once. 

Condenser Dryer 

When we talked about the electric dryers we talked about how they use a heating element to heat the air. A condenser dryer is different. They pull in air from all sides of the unit and pass it through a condenser where the air is heated up and then passed into the drum. This process leads to a lower temperature than comes with using a vented dryer. The upside to this is that they are gentler on your clothes. The downside is that they do require a longer drying time and more electricity because of that.  When a condenser dryer pulls the air out of the drum, it is forced into a condenser chamber where the water is extracted from it, the dry air is heated, and it goes back around.  One of the major benefits of a condenser dryer is that it doesn't require a vent to go outside since the air is at a lower temperature and all of the moisture is extracted from it. 

Heat Pump Condenser Dryer 

A heat pump condenser dryer is one of the newest varieties to hit the market. Have you ever felt the outside of your refrigerator and been baffled at how hot it is on the outside and cool on the inside? This dryer takes advantage of a similar principle. Instead of a heating coil, it uses a miniaturized refrigerant system, which we know sounds contradictory. The way it works is that the system starts by compressing a refrigerant, which then expels heat, which heats the air. That air goes into the dryer, drying your clothes and picking up moisture. That moisture-rich air is taken out of the system, it goes through the refrigerant where the water is collected and is then reheated to be used again. This cycle repeats over and over, but it's at a lower temperature than the vented dryer. This may sound like a bad thing, but the heat pump dryers are surprisingly energy efficient. The only issue is that they do take more time to run,  and because they do have more parts, there is the potential for more to go wrong. 

Now that we've broken down the key types of dryers, let's take a look at the different features you should expect if you're on the market. 

Door types. Wow, such an exciting topic, right? Well, not really. That being said, it is important to think about. Depending on how your laundry room is set up, it's going to affect where you need to put your dryer. 

Hamper Door

A hamper style door with a window in it!

These are great if you've got a small space. Instead of going left or right, they swing out and down, like a laundry chute in a hotel. This makes it really easy to drop laundry in or pull it out. It also means that if you lose your grip on something, it'll slide right back into the dryer instead of dropping to the floor. Best of all, they won't swing shut when in use! 

Side Open Door

These are probably the type we're most familiar with. They're on the front of the dryer and they swing to one side or the other.  With these, you'll need to take into account the space you need, so that when you open the door, you aren't smacking yourself, the walls, or the washer. You also want to make sure that the door can open as far as possible so that it isn't a hassle trying to reach in and get your laundry. 

Reversible Swing Door 

Quick story. Your beloved writer was very foolish as a teenager. When she first heard about this concept, she thought that it meant the door could swing two different ways. Either up and down or side to side. No, it doesn't work that way sadly. What it does mean is that with this type of door you can take the door off and install it so that it swings open to the left or right, based on what you need in your home. 

Top Open Door

And finally, we have the type of door that is actually on the top of your dryer. (Would it then be a lid rather than a door? We aren't sure. We don't make up the terms.)  These are great if you don't want to worry about which way the door swings and how much clearance you have around it. BUT an important thing is that, if you're shorter, you might have trouble getting your clothes out from the bottom. This is why many have transitioned to the side open door. 

Moving on from doors to drums. We’re not talking about the noisy variety here, we mean the one that spins your clothes around inside the dryer. (Although if your dryer is noisy, we should be able to help with that.) 

Stainless Steel 

The best of the best when it comes to the type of drum inside your dryer. A stainless steel drum is longer lasting and is very hard to damage. They don't rust or chip, which means that they have a very long lifespan in comparison to other varieties. The downside is that it does tend to be more expensive than other varieties of drums. 

Coated

Coated drums can either be powder-coated steel (not stainless steel) or porcelain coated. These are the middle-of-the-road option. As such you're going to be paying less for them. The downside is that they are also going to have a shorter lifespan. The coating can be chipped over time, or if you put something heavy in them. Multiple things can then happen after chips are formed in the coating. That chipping exposes the underlying steel which can rust when exposed to wet clothes and linens on a regular basis, and that rust can then stain your clothes. The chipped areas can also catch on any clothing you put in from then on, causing snags or tears over time. 

Plastic

Finally, we have the least expensive variety of drums for your dryer: The plastic drum. Now the upshot to these is that they are much lighter and are significantly cheaper to produce, which brings down the price of your dryer. However, they can't handle "hard" objects according to manufacturers, and they are much more likely to chip or wear out than a stainless steel drum or even the coated drums. 

Time-Based Features

Delay

Delay is a self-explanatory feature, but one we love nonetheless. It allows you to delay the start of the dryer for a period of time. Some models will let you delay it for several hours. 

Time Left In Cycle

Just what it says on the tin, this is a visual display to show you how long is left on the cycle. It might be a ticking timer that rotates, it might be lights that count up or down, or it might be a digital display telling you what stage the dryer is in currently. 

Timed Dry

Time dry lets you set the dryer for a specific amount of time. This can be useful for all sorts of reasons, from needing to just freshen up a shirt to needing to finish drying it after you selected the wrong settings by accident (or learning curve.) 

Features To Make Your Life Easier

Damp Alert

While most of us would think this is meant to tell you "hey the load is almost done" that's not actually the case. Instead, this is for when you need (or want) to iron your clothing. When this alarm goes off it means that your clothes are at the perfect stage in between dry and wet to best take to ironing and staying without wrinkles. 

Sensor Dry

Some dryers now have sensors in the drum itself. These are there to tell when the clothes are fully dry and to cut off the process, saving you time, energy and money. They also save your clothes from extra wear from being tumbled around more than what they need to. 

Attachable Dryer Rack

An additional item that some dryers come with is a wire rack that you can attach to stand in the middle of the drum. This doesn't move even as the drum does. This would be something you could use for drying hats, shoes, special fabrics (such as lingerie), or even stuffed animals. Anything delicate that you want dried, but don't want tossed around by the dryer.  

Steam

This one sounds counterproductive, we know. "But blogger," we hear you cry "why do I want to get my clothes wet if I'm trying to dry them?" That our friends is the trick. First off, the steam isn't present during the entire cycle. It's only added to the drum during specific parts of it. The steaming process has several benefits that are especially beneficial given our concern with all things germs. Steam makes your clothes even hotter, meaning that germs and bad odors are significantly reduced. They also reduce wrinkles when the clothes are fully dried. 

Child Lock

Did you ever mess with the buttons on a dryer as a kid because you were bored? Or because you wanted to know what it did, or maybe just because it was a button? With this feature, your kids can't do the same to you. You can set the settings you need for a load and walk away knowing your kids can turn as many dials as they want and it won't turn your laundry into a pile of ash. 

Wrinkle Guard

This last feature is one we simultaneously love and hate. On one hand, this keeps the dryer running until you're able to finish what you're doing. It keeps the clothes tumbling at a lower temperature so that they don't settle and develop wrinkles. On the other hand, many dryers will have a very loud, annoying buzz to alert you that the cycle is done. That sound then gets played every so often until you come and collect the clothes. 

How to Choose Your Next Dryer

So, at the end of the day, if you're looking to replace your dryer, or just starting to consider what you'll want a few years from now after your current one is in a state beyond repair, how do you do it? 

Power

Start by looking at the power source your current dryer has. Does your home already have a gas hookup? Or is your current dryer electric? Do you want to make a change? 

Size of the Dryer

 How large is your laundry room? Your dryer needs to be able to fit comfortably within the space, have breathing room and be able to open easily? Careful measurements need to be accounted for before you purchase a new dryer. 

Capacity of the Dryer

How much laundry do you do on a weekly basis? Your dryer needs to be able to handle that not only in terms of as a whole but also in comparison to your washer, which brings us to an important rule of thumb. Ideally, your dryer should be twice the capacity of your washing machine. The reason for this is that while your clothes will compress and stick together once they're wet, they need space to dry. As the dryer tumbles the clothes they need space to expand and move more freely to allow the air to circulate. 

Thanks for checking out our dryer deep dive! Did you get the answers you needed? Or do you have more questions still? If that's the case let us know in the questions below or over on our Facebook page. As always, we'd love to hear from you. 

If on the other hand, you ended up on our page because you're trying to figure out why your dryer is busted, we can help. You can call at ((214) 599-0055) or go to our contact page to set up an appointment and we can either diagnose or fix the problem for you. 

Additional Reading 

9 Electric Dryers At 3 Different Price Points

9 Different Gas Dryers, At 3 Different Price Points

9 Things Your Dryer Hates

6 Things You Should Never Put In The Dryer

It’s Time To Clean Your Dryer – And Here’s Why

What You Want to Know About Heat Pump Dryers

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How The Appliance Shortage Got Here, And Where We Go Next

With vaccines being rolled out every day and mask restrictions being relaxed, many people think things are going back to normal. However, the appliance industry is showing that the effects of COVID-19 are going to  be felt for far longer than people anticipate. There is a massive appliance shortage not just here in Texas, but across the country.  So, how did it start, where is it going, and what can you do about it? 

Realistically, this shortage started almost right away in March of 2020 when we were beginning mass shutdowns across the country. It began in China where factories had to close for 6-8 weeks, which meant there was no stainless steel in production.  From there, the manufacturing plants for appliances in China, Mexico and the U.S. were either closed or had restrictions on how many people were allowed in. This meant that not only were the appliances delayed now, but so were the parts for those appliances. 

There were also businesses closing left and right, as  well as layoffs that swept the nation. So, people aren’t going to be shopping as much thanks to quarantine and shelter in place orders. With both of these factors going into play many of the manufacturers thought it was reasonable to scale back production. Stores felt the same and so they reduced their orders. 

Now let’s zoom in a bit, and take a look at the average person. As we were told to shelter in place, we needed ways to keep busy. So we looked around our homes and decided we wanted to bake sourdough bread. Or learn how to make new and exciting meals (that normally we’d get from takeout...) Some of us decided if we couldn’t go on vacation, we’d renovate our kitchens instead. Or others just had the bad luck of having their appliances break with all of the extra use from the family being home all day every day. 

All of this combined together meant a lot of time in our kitchens and the need for more appliances, or new appliances, or repairing our appliances. 

Then there’s a second angle to supply increase, the housing market. Even as COVID-19 happened, people were looking at buying new homes thanks to the Federal Reserve putting interest rates at 0%.  New homes were also still being built, and those come standard with a full appliance set of a microwave, dishwasher, oven, refrigerator and washer and dryer. So all of those homes still needed their slated appliances. 

All of this came together to create our current situation. Appliance backlogs of six months or more for specific brands and models. And let’s not even talk about being able to get the color you want.  

Several manufacturers are quoted as saying that they are ‘ramping up production’ or ‘being resourceful to meet demands.’ That isn’t showing in the market just yet though. Despite encouraging messages from Whirlpool, Electrolux and LG, we still have backorders of at least 6 months. 

So what to do? How do you, our loyal readers and clients, deal with this not six months from now, but right now? We know you have appliances that are still breaking, or ones you’re hoping to replace.  For the latter, we advise being flexible. Place an order as early as you can.  Know that the size you need is more important than specifics of the brand and model. If you can find a fridge that fits what you need and isn’t a sacrifice  on price, jump on it. 

If on the other hand your appliance has broken, we appreciate your patience. We are still working as hard as we can to take care of our clients throughout Dallas and the surrounding area. Know however that the manufacturing companies are backed up on parts as they are on the full appliances, with those full appliances taking precedence. Unfortunately for all of us, companies are focusing on the greatest profit margin they can attain right now, which means their higher tier models.  We understand your frustrations, and we hate it just as much. 

However! There are things you can do, other than just being the patient people we know and care about. 

Keep things clean and spaced properly. We’ve got several articles talking about how to make sure your fridge, freezer and dryer can breathe properly. 

If you aren’t sure, don’t put something through your dishwasher, washer or dryer. 

 Take preventative measures. If you think something is off with one of your appliances, give us a call. We do maintenance calls, and right now “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” for you, your time and your wallet.  

So while we aren’t sure about when things will change for the better, we can tell you that we will be here. We’re here to keep your homes running, whether you live in Coppell or Garland, Dallas or McKinney, we at Appliance Rescue Service are here for you. 

If you need to set a maintenance appointment, or something in your kitchen has broken, give us a call. You can reach us at ((214) 599-0055), our website, or via our Facebook page. 

We can only hope that our stores and showrooms will one day go back to showing appliances this way and having sales like this.